Environmental Planner

Applied Ecology, Inc., a small but rapidly growing environmental consulting firm, is seeking a highly motivated and qualified Environmental Planner to support public sector environmental consulting projects. This role emphasizes analytical thinking, structured planning, research, and technical writing to help clients evaluate environmental conditions, identify potential impacts, and develop practical, defensible solutions. The ideal candidate will be an excellent communicator who can synthesize complex environmental and regulatory information, apply sound planning practices, and clearly convey findings to both technical and non-technical audiences through technical reports, planning documents, presentations, and other project deliverables. A background in GIS and spatial analysis is preferred, but not required, as GIS may be used to support environmental analysis, planning, and decision-making. The position will contribute to projects involving natural resources, climate conditions, sustainable land use, infrastructure development, and regulatory compliance for federal, state, and local government agencies.

AEI has three offices located in Florida (Orlando, Melbourne, and Tampa) and is a regional leader in managing water and natural resources, engineering, planning, and geospatial applications. This is an onsite position to support our Planning and Geospatial Team in the Melbourne, FL office.

As a small business, we are involved in diverse yet challenging environmental research projects that require innovative approaches and out-of-the-box solutions. Our business provides a great opportunity for an individual passionate about research to solve real-world environmental problems while working with a highly qualified multi-disciplinary team of scientists, analysts, planners and engineers. This position is ideal for someone who prefers a high-energy environment working on diverse projects ranging from developing lake restoration plans, habitat management plans, sustainability plans, comprehensive plans, guiding ordinance development and application, evaluating climate assessment risks on natural and manmade assets, and many more.

Candidates must demonstrate experience in communicating effectively, developing plans, and applying scientific analyses to understand environmental issues in Florida and the southeastern US. Additional competency is desired in one or more areas including sustainability planning, participatory planning, transportation planning, comprehensive plan development, coastal management, habitat and species management and monitoring, resiliency and climate adaptation planning, shoreline restoration and monitoring, and/or environmental protection policies and programs. The ideal candidate has a minimum of 2 years of professional experience in environmental planning or similar discipline, is a solid technical writer, possesses willingness to step into project task management, and is a great communicator and team collaborator.

Interested applicants, please submit a resume and cover letter addressed to Kelsey Mack, AICP, Planning and Geospatial Services Line Manager, Applied Ecology, Inc.

Responsabilities

•  Analyze and synthesize environmental data related to vegetation, soils, hydrology, wildlife habitats, climate conditions and other natural resources.
• Interpret and apply GIS-based environmental analyses to support public sector projects, including land use, wetlands, habitat, floodplains, and environmental constraints.
• Support environmental reviews and permitting processes (e.g., NEPA, CEQA, state/local environmental regulations).
• Assist in the preparation of technical reports, environmental impact statements (EIS), environmental assessments (EA), and planning documents.
• Research and interpret federal, state, and local environmental regulations, policies, plans, and technical guidance to support projects. planning and decision-making.
• Conduct site suitability and impact analyses for infrastructure, transportation, and resilience projects.
• Assist in developing and updating sustainability, climate resilience, energy efficiency, and environmental management plans and policies.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (engineers, scientists, planners, and public agencies).
• Support stakeholder engagement by developing clear, visually compelling maps, graphics, presentations and other communication materials.
• Conduct fieldwork to collect and validate environmental and spatial data when required.
• Review and quality-control technical analyses, maps, reports, and other project deliverables for accuracy, consistency, clarity, and compliance with project requirements.
• Manage multiple tasks and project priorities while meeting deadlines and maintaining high-quality work products.
• Assist with project coordination, including tracking schedules, deliverables, data needs, and regulatory or planning requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Urban, Regional or Environmental Planning, Environmental Policy, Geography, GIS, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Management, Sustainability, or related field.
• 2–6 years of experience in environmental/sustainability/resilience/urban planning, GIS analysis, or environmental consulting.
• AICP certification (or ability to obtain certification within 2 years).
• Strong understanding of environmental regulations and permitting frameworks (e.g., NEPA, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, State of Florida ERPs).
• Experience working with public sector clients (federal, state, or local agencies).
• Ability to integrate spatial and analytical data with environmental policies and planning processes.
• Strong analytical, data management, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent technical writing and communication skills.
• Ability to work on DOW contracts (US citizenship required).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Proficiency in GIS platforms such as ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and/or QGIS.
• Experience with climate resilience, vulnerability assessments, coastal management, or sustainability planning.
• Experience with planning practices, policies and initiatives specific to Florida communities.
• Knowledge of environmental impact analysis tools and modeling techniques.
• Proficiency in scripting or automation (e.g., Python, ModelBuilder, SQL).
• Experience with data management, large dataset QA/QC, spatial analysis technologies, process design and modeling, and web GIS technologies.
• Familiarity with grant-supported public sector projects or federally funded programs.
• Experience with visualization tools (e.g., StoryMaps, dashboards, Adobe Illustrator, Canva).
• Public sector project experience (state, local, or federal government).
• Prior project management experience, including developing scopes and budgets, managing workflows, and completing quality review of deliverables.
• Training or supervisory experience.
• Experience presenting data and final products to technical peers and/or clients.
• Bilingual or multilingual communication skills are valued but not required for the role.

Applied Ecology, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our firm is committed through responsible management policies to recruit, hire, promote, train, transfer, compensate, and administer all other personnel actions without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, status as a protected veteran and any other factor prohibited under applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws, rules, and regulations.